Donny Jurgens ‘ family was evicted from their home in Lansdowne by the Group Areas Act in the late 60’s.  The family was dispersed to all corners of Manenberg on the Cape Flats. Donny and his family ended up in Lotus River, where he grew up.

He attended All Saints Primary in Lansdowne and Oaklands High.  He qualified at Hewat Teacher’s College where he was also deputy head student and started teaching in Hanover Park in 1981 at the age of 19.  After 5 years in Hanover Park, he moved on to Seaview Primary in Rocklands, Mitchell’s Plain where he was appointed as head of department.

At the age of 22 he became the secretary of the Hanover Park Primary Schools Sports Union; later he became the chairman of Mitchells Plain Primary Schools Sports Union. 

After 10 years in teaching, he ventured into various careers in sports management including: University of Cape Town – Senior Sports Administrator, Sports Science Institute – Community Outreach Manager, Sports Coaches Outreach – Executive Director and Programmes Manager, City of Cape Town – Manager of Specialised Operations, Department of Sport and Recreation.

Donny became an anti-apartheid activist early on in his youth.  He was recruited at high school by the Non-European Unity Movement and on moving to Hanover Park became the chair of Hanover Park Youth, then Eastridge and Tafelsig Youth in Mitchell’s Plain finally rising to become the General Secretary of Cape Youth Congress.  He was detained in solitary confinement under Section 29 of the dreaded Internal Security Act for his role in supporting members of the underground movement.

He is a founder member of the National Sports Congress which later became the National Sports Council. He became the secretary and later Chairperson of NSC Western Province. He served on the Executive Committees of WP Cricket, WP Squash, WP Golf. He was the Chairperson of WP and SA Scrabble and he also served on the Executive Committee of SA Golf.  Currently he is the Chairperson of Cape Peninsula Golf Club and the President of Gymnastics SA.

He is the Sole Proprietor of Dynamic Development Solutions, a consultancy specialising amongst others in strategic planning facilitation, sports management training, Sport Development, Safeguarding and Transformation and Development. He is an adjunct lecturer at UCT as well as the Head Tutor on an online sports management course. 

Donny is married to Farieda, with 3 children and two grandchildren.